Footwear and other articles that are closed and/or tightened often include a lace, cord, or other tension member. The lace is typically positioned on the footwear or article so that it spans an opening that may be narrowed to close and/or tighten the footwear or article. Once the lace is tensioned to close and/or tighten the footwear or article, the tension member may be secured to prevent loosening or opening of the footwear or article. The lace is typically positioned along a symmetrical path about the opening of the footwear or article.
Shoes are common examples of footwear that employ such lace. Specifically, many shoes include shoe lace that is positioned along a tongue or opening portion of the shoe so that the opposing ends of the shoelace are adjacent the shoe's throat or collar and so that the shoelace is symmetrically laced along the length of the tongue or opening. A middle portion of the shoelace is often disposed at a distal end of the tongue or opening, commonly near the toe box.